PURPOSE
Bottom Dredge are macro invertebrates that live in bodies of water. They help us determine the quality of water that the pond is due to how much pollution it contains. The macro invertebrates fall under three groups that differ from one another due to their tolerance of oxygen. These Groups are : Pollution Sensitive, Pollution Intermediate, and Pollution Tolerant. By looking at the bottom dredge that was collected and determining which group each insect falls under, we can conclude that Hoit Road Marsh is fairly clean because most of the bottom dredge cannot tolerate a vast amount of pollution.
BOTTOM DREDGE (not all collected)
Pond Snail (Pollution Sensitive)
Water Scorpion (Pollution Tolerant but come to the surface to breathe)
Tubiflex Worm (Pollution Tolerant)
Sunfish (Pollution Sensitive)
Whrilygig beetle (Pollution Intermediate)
Dragonfly Nymph (Pollution Intermediate)
Mayfly Nymph (Pollution Sensitive)
MATERIALS
Materials that are needed to perform this task are:
1) Bottom Dredge net used to collect various species of bottom dredge
2) Bucket to hold the bottom dredge collected at the marsh after it is caught as well as contain the bottom dredge in the classroom
3) Ziplock bags which are used to transfer the collected bottom dredge from the marsh to avoid spilling in the bucket on the bus ride back
FIELD TEST
The field test is not performed on the boat, but instead is done around the edges of the marsh near areas of vegetation. You drag the bottom dredge net along the bottom of shallow areas of water to collect specimen. After collecting from a certain area, you pour the contents into the white bucket. You repeat this step after every different location. After you have finished collecting all the specimen, you carefully pour the contents from the white bucket, into the Ziplock baggies. After doing that, you put the baggies back into the white bucket, just as a precaution, in case the bag were to spill.
AFTER RETURNING TO CLASS
After you return to class, you place the white bucket on a lab station. You then search through the bottom dredge for macro invertebrates. Once you find one, you put it into a little dish, for people to look at through a microscope. You look for many species, and put them all into dishes, for people to choose from.
IMPORTANCE
Bottom dredge is important because it helps us decide on the water quality of a specific body of water. Depending on what type of bugs we find, we are able to figure out if the water is generally clean, clear, full of vegetation or polluted. That is because certain species of bugs have different toleration levels of pollutants and live in different habitats.
PURPOSE
Bottom Dredge are macro invertebrates that live in bodies of water. They help us determine the quality of water that the pond is due to how much pollution it contains. The macro invertebrates fall under three groups that differ from one another due to their tolerance of oxygen. These Groups are : Pollution Sensitive, Pollution Intermediate, and Pollution Tolerant. By looking at the bottom dredge that was collected and determining which group each insect falls under, we can conclude that Hoit Road Marsh is fairly clean because most of the bottom dredge cannot tolerate a vast amount of pollution.
BOTTOM DREDGE (not all collected)
Pond Snail (Pollution Sensitive)
Water Scorpion (Pollution Tolerant but come to the surface to breathe)
Tubiflex Worm (Pollution Tolerant)
Sunfish (Pollution Sensitive)
Whrilygig beetle (Pollution Intermediate)
Dragonfly Nymph (Pollution Intermediate)
Mayfly Nymph (Pollution Sensitive)
MATERIALS
Materials that are needed to perform this task are:
1) Bottom Dredge net used to collect various species of bottom dredge
2) Bucket to hold the bottom dredge collected at the marsh after it is caught as well as contain the bottom dredge in the classroom
3) Ziplock bags which are used to transfer the collected bottom dredge from the marsh to avoid spilling in the bucket on the bus ride back
FIELD TEST
The field test is not performed on the boat, but instead is done around the edges of the marsh near areas of vegetation. You drag the bottom dredge net along the bottom of shallow areas of water to collect specimen. After collecting from a certain area, you pour the contents into the white bucket. You repeat this step after every different location. After you have finished collecting all the specimen, you carefully pour the contents from the white bucket, into the Ziplock baggies. After doing that, you put the baggies back into the white bucket, just as a precaution, in case the bag were to spill.
AFTER RETURNING TO CLASS
After you return to class, you place the white bucket on a lab station. You then search through the bottom dredge for macro invertebrates. Once you find one, you put it into a little dish, for people to look at through a microscope. You look for many species, and put them all into dishes, for people to choose from.
IMPORTANCE
Bottom dredge is important because it helps us decide on the water quality of a specific body of water. Depending on what type of bugs we find, we are able to figure out if the water is generally clean, clear, full of vegetation or polluted. That is because certain species of bugs have different toleration levels of pollutants and live in different habitats.
Alison and Meaghan - Period 6